Acanthoventris gastracanthophora ( Berg, 1879 )

Sanborn, Allen F., 2024, The cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of Uruguay with a key to known species and comments on species of the genus Acanthoventris Ruschel including the resurrection of a previously synonymized species, Zootaxa 5399 (4), pp. 301-326 : 316-319

Acanthoventris gastracanthophora ( Berg, 1879) , revised status, n. comb. ( Figs. 3–4 )

Fidicina gastracanthophora Berg 1879: 138 (Between Buenos Aires and Entre Rios, Argentina).

F[idicina] drewseni Distant 1906: 92 , equals Fidicina gastracanthophora Berg (error).

F[idicina] drewseni Distant 1914: 19 (in part), equals Fidicina gastracanthophora Berg (error).

[Dorisia] drewseni Delétang 1919: 65 .

Fidicina drewseni Kato 1932: 158 (in part).

Dorisia drewseni Torres 1945: 4 , 9–10 (in part).

Dorisia drewseni Torres 1946: 8 , plate 2.

Dorisiana drewseni Ruffinelli 1970: 4 (in part).

Dorisiana drewseni Martinelli & Zucchi 1997: 135–141 (in part).

Dorisiana drewseni Martinelli 2004: 518–521 , 525–526, 529–531 (in part).

Dorisiana drewseni Bolcatto, Medrano, & De Santis 2006: 7–8 , 10.

Dorisiana drewseni De Santis, Urtega, & Bolcatto 2006: 1 .

Dorisiana drewseni De Santis, Medrano, Sanborn, & Bolcatto 2007: 4 , 11, 14, 17, 19.

Dorisia (sic) drewseni De Santis, Medrano, Sanborn, & Bolcatto 2007: 11–12 .

Dorisiana drewseni Krause, Brown, Bellosi, & Genise 2008: 412 , 414, 416.

Type material. One syntype of Berg (1879) is deposited in the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, Buenos Aires, Argentina (P. R. Mulieri, personal communication). The deposition site of the other syntype is currently unknown but is not deposited in the Museo de La Plata Entomological Collection, Argentina ( Marino de Remes Lenicov et al. 2015), or the Museum f̧r Naturkunde, Berlin (personal observation) with some of the other Berg type specimens. No other data for the known syntype are available including which sex syntype is represented.

Material examined. “ ARG: Buenos Aires / City Bell / 28 Feb. 1987 / F.G. Noriega Coll. // Dorisiana / drewseni / M.S. Heath Det. 1987 // confirmed” one female ( MSHC); “ ARGENTINA: Bs As / Villa Flica , Dep. / La Plata Jan or Feb / 1981 / F.G. Noriega Coll. // Dorisiana / drewseni / not confirmed (in pencil) // confirmed” one male ( MSHC); “ ARG: Buenos Aires / La Plata / 10 Feb. 1987 / F.G. Noriega Coll. / EX: Tilo // Dorisiana / drewseni / M.S. Heath Det. 1987 //confirmed” one male ( MSHC); “ ARGENTINA / F.G. Noriega Coll. // Dorisiana / drewseni / not confirmed (in pencil)” one male ( MSHC), one female ( AFSC); “ ARGENTINA: Corrientes / Dto. Monte Caseros, 1km / So. of Mota Pidritas / 4 Jan. 1988. Heath / Sanborn-Noriega Coll. // Dorisiana / drewseni” one male ( MSHC), one male ( AFSC); “ ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires Prov. / City Bell, La Plata / 12-II-2012 / Fernando G. Noriega Coll. // Dorisiana / drewseni ( Stål, 1854) / A. Sanborn det. II/2012 ” one male ( AFSC); “ ARGENTINA, Prov. de Buenos Aires / Morón / II-2000 / F. Penco leg. // Dorisiana / drewseni / A. Sanborn det. XI/2005 ” two females ( AFSC); “ Uruguay / Tacuarembó / Dorisia / bonaerensis / Berg // Dorisiana drewseni ( Stål, 1854) / A. Sanborn det. VIII/2001 ” one female ( AFSC). “Confirmed” label on MSHC specimens refers to comparison specimens identified as Dorisiana drewseni in the Museo de La Plata and Museo de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia, Buenos Aires collections after field identification of the specimens. The range given in Berg (1879) is within the range of the localities in this sample with the sample extending further north (to Corrientes Province) and east (to La Plata) than the range given in Berg (1879).

Remarks. The most similar species in general appearance within the genus are Acanthoventris charrua Ruschel (in Ruschel et al.), 2023, Acanthoventris iara Ruschel (in Ruschel et al.), 2023, Acanthoventris igneus Ruschel (in Ruschel et al.), 2023 and Acanthoventris rubemi Ruschel (in Ruschel et al.), 2023. However, each is unique in the combination of characters possessed and in the structure of the genitalia as described in the diagnosis section.

Etymology. The name is a combination of gastr - (Gr., gaster, stomach, belly), - acantho - (Gr., akanthias, a prickly thing), and - phora (Gr., phoras, fruitful, bearing) in reference to the spine-like, median projection of abdominal sternite II. This is the same structure used to name the genus to which the species is being reassigned.

Description. Ground color of dorsal head and thorax greenish marked with piceous, dorsal abdomen piceous and castaneous, venter ochraceous or olivaceous-ochraceous marked with piceous. Green fades to testaceous in older specimens.

Head. Head wider than mesonotum, slightly wider than lateral angle of pronotal collar, ground color with complete transverse piceous fascia between eyes surrounding all ocelli, frons, anteromedial corner of supra-antennal plate, extending posteriorly around lateral ocelli to posterior head margin, mark extends anteriorly from frons across frontoclypeal suture to form triangular marks on dorsoposterior postclypeus not meeting on midline, piceous spots in anterior and posterior cranial depressions, piceous posterior to eye. Anterior margin of postclypeus forming smooth curve with supra-antennal plates. Head with short golden and piceous pile dorsally, densest on frons, medial vertex and posterodorsal postclypeus, longer and very dense silvery pile posterior to eye. Ocelli reddish, ochraceous or greenish in different specimens, eyes dark castaneous. Ventral head ground color, gena unmarked except piceous distal margin of ventral eye, medial lorum castaneous, lateral lorum ochraceous, dense long and short white pile on ventral head. Ventral postclypeus almost rectangular, centrally sulcate with eleven transverse grooves, ochraceous without piceous markings except triangular mark on dorsoposterior surface, long white pile laterally. Anteclypeus ochraceous with piceous lateral margins covered with dense, long white pile. Mentum ochraceous, labium ground color at base becoming castaneous and finally piceous distally, rostrum reaching the posterior coxae. Scape ground color proximally, piceous distally, remaining antennal segments piceous.

Thorax. Dorsal thorax ground color marked with piceous. Prothorax ground color lacking longitudinal piceous band on dorsal midline and other piceous markings but some specimens with small castaneous or piceous spot in posterior ambient fissure on either side of midline, piceous pile within fissures, piceous and/or silvery pile on disks between fissures and on pronotal collar, denser on lateral part and lateral angle of pronotal collar. Pronotal collar same ground color as disk, curved indentation on posterior margin dorsal midline, pronotal collar lateral angle smoothly curved. Mesothorax ground color, piceous sigillae, scutal depressions and medioposterior margin lateral of ground color cruciform elevation, piceous and silvery pile on anterior and lateral margins, between anterior arms and lateral cruciform elevation and posterior wing groove. Wing groove ground color with piceous mark on anterior terminus, some specimens with additional mark on posteromedial corner, radiating long, dense silvery pile. Metanotum ground color with piceous anterior spot, with long, dense silvery pile. Ventral thoracic segments ground color except piceous interior of basisternum 2, anepisternmum 2, castaneous medial katepisternum 2, posteromedial spot on katepimeron 2, and posterolateral episternum 3. Basisternum 3 with transverse posterior margin, protuberances not well developed, acutely angled, close to midline. Thoracic sternites covered with dense long white pile.

Wings. Fore wings and hindwings hyaline, lacking infuscation on crossveins or apical veins. Venation ground color at base becoming piceous distally, anal vein 2 + 3 piceous posteriorly. Basal cell with ochraceous anterior third along radius & subcostal vein, remainder hyaline, pterostigma extending to proximal apical cell 1 not reaching level of radial crossvein, basal membrane of fore wing grayish, posterior darker, piceous along posterior clavus. Hindwing venation ground color proximally becoming piceous distally, variable castaneous marks on basal portions of veins. Proximal venation surrounded by gray, speckled with reddish-orange at base of costal and radial cells, gray extending in anal cell 3 and anal cell 2 along anal veins 2 and 3, anal cell 1 along anal vein 2, and cubital cell 2 along cubitus posterior, infuscation along distal margin of grayish in all cells.

Legs. Ochraceous except piceous lateral margin of middle and hind coxae and piceous distal pretarsal claws, with three segmented tarsi. Fore femora with proximal spine angled, secondary spine triangular, upright, longer than primary spine, tertiary spine very small, less than half the length of secondary spine, upright, all spines ground color. Tibial spurs and tibial combs castaneous with piceous tips. Legs with short white pile on coxae, with radiating long golden pile on all segments. Male meracanthus elongated triangle pointed posteriorly, ground color with piceous base, almost reaching posterior opercular margin. Female meracanthus as in male except reaching beyond posterior opercular margin to middle of sternite II.

Opercula. Male operculum triangular with rounded apex, gutter not present near apex, ground color with piceous spot on anteromedial corner near meracanthus continuing as thin fascia along anterior margin towards but not reaching light castaneous spot on anterolateral base, covered with short white pile, very dense at base, and short golden pile radiating from surface, opercula not meeting medially, reaching medially only to medial meracathus, extending posteriorly to anterior sternite II covering tympanal cavity with apex reaching auditory capsule. Female operculum similarly colored except shaped more like a scalene triangle than an equilateral triangle with the lateral side shorter than the posterior side, reaching to medial meracanthus medially and posterolateral extension reaching to middle of sternite II and auditory capsule.

Abdomen. Abdomen length shorter than distance between anterior postclypeus apex and posterior cruciform elevation.Abdominal segments parallel sided at base angling to posterior terminus beginning at segment 4.Abdominal tergites piceous with castaneous posterior margins, percentage of piceous decreasing in posterior tergites, tergite 1 mainly piceous with castaneous spots medially and laterally in some specimens, tergites covered with piceous and silvery pile, silvery pile denser on dorsal tergites 2 and 3, lateral tergites 2–4, dorsolateral tergites 3–6, and across dorsal tergites 7 and 8, shorter silvery pile radiating from posterior tergite margins. Timbal cover ground color laterally, with piceous anteromedial margin, approximate equilateral triangle with rounded apex, dorsolateral margin straight, medial margin smoothly curving to junction with tergite 1, incomplete exposing timbal dorsally. Timbal white and castaneous partially visible through opening in timbal cover. Male sternites ground color, sternites III–VI translucent, sternite VII twice as long as sternite VI with lateral margins angled medially to sinuate posterior margin, sternite VIII a narrow V-shape when viewed from the posterior, sternites I and II radiating long golden pile, sternites III–VIII covered with long silvery pile, epipleurites strongly reflexed, ground color covered with long golden pile, spiracles covered by white pubescence. Female tergites colored and covered with pile similar to male pattern. Female sternite VII ground color with single open U-shaped notch, posterior margin transverse from notch about a half distance to lateral tergite where posterior margin curves to straight lateral margin angled anterolaterally from curve. Female abdominal segment 9 castaneous with elongated piceous region on anterior dorsolateral surface, posteroventral margin covered with dense golden pile at angle, segment covered with long silvery pile, short piceous pile laterally and dorsoposteriorly. Dorsal beak slightly bent ventrally, about twice as long as ochraceous anal styles. Posterior margin of abdominal segment 9 smoothly curved forming an approximate right angle.

Genitalia. Male pygofer piceous with ground color dorsum and elongated cataneous mark on posterolateral surface. Distal shoulder smoothly curved forming an approximate right angle, dorsal beak absent. Pygofer basal lobes large, almost half the width of the pygofer each, almost reaching distal pygofer shoulder, castaneous with greenish central region, distal terminus triangular with curving dorsoposterior margin. Short golden pile radiating from posterior pygofer and uncus. Anal styles and anal tube ochraceous. Uncus castaneous. Dorsal crest of uncus erect with rounded terminus. Median uncus lobes short. Lateral branch of uncus curving under median uncus lobe. Aedeagus tubular, dark castaneous with ochraceous ventral terminal membrane.

Female gonocoxite IX ground color. Gonapophysis IX castaneous, gonapophysis X castaneous with piceous tips. Ovipositor sheath extends beyond end of dorsal beak. Long golden pile radiating from ovipositor sheath, ovipositor sheath and anal styles with short golden pile.

Measurements (mm). N = six males or five females, mean (range). Length of body: males 21.24 (19.30– 23.35), females 21.03 (20.75–21.60); length of fore wing: males 29.49 (28.00–30.60), females 29.98 (29.20–30.50); width of fore wing: males 10.08 (9.45–10.60), females 9.87 (9.80–9.95); length of head: males 3.46 (3.30–3.75), females 3.52 (3.40–3.70); width of head including eyes: males 9.80 (9.30–10.15), females 9.73 (9.50–9.90); length of pronotum: males 3.58 (3.35–3.75), females 3.54 (3.45–3.60); width of pronotum including suprahumeral plates: males 9.73 (9.25–9.95), females 9.69 (9.55–9.90); length of mesonotum: males 5.99 (5.60–6.40), females 5.70 (5.30–6.00); width of mesonotum: males 8.54 (8.10–8.85), females 8.43 (8.20–8.60).

Data for statistical comparisons combine data for males and females except for body length which is influenced by sex. Length of body: males 21.24 ± 1.50 (n=6, 19.30–23.35), females 21.03 ± 0.33 (n=5, 20.75–21.60); length of fore wing 29.71 ± 0.89 (n=11, 28.00–30.60); width of fore wing 9.98 ± 0.34 (n=11, 9.45–10.60); length of head 3.49 ± 0.14 (n=11, 3.30–3.75); width of head including eyes 9.77 ± 0.23 (n=11, 9.30–10.15); length of pronotum 3.56 ± 0.12 (n=11, 3.35–3.75); width of pronotum including suprahumeral plates 9.71 ± 0.22 (n=11, 9.25–9.95); length of mesonotum 5.86 ± 0.32 (n=11, 5.30–6.40); width of mesonotum 8.49 ± 0.22 (n=11, 8.10–8.85). As shown above, all body measurements show statistically significant differences (P<0.0001–P<0.0210) with the measurements of Acanthoventris drewseni .

Diagnosis. The discussion of the resurrection of the species above provides structures and measurements to distinguish Acanthoventris gastracanthophora ( Berg, 1879) revised status, n. comb. from Acanthoventris drewseni . The data show that the two species differ significantly in all eleven of the body measurements examined as well as numerous structural and coloration differences.

The most similar species in general appearance are Acanthoventris charrua Ruschel (in Ruschel et al.), 2023, Acanthoventris iara Ruschel (in Ruschel et al.), 2023, Acanthoventris igneus Ruschel (in Ruschel et al.), 2023 and Acanthoventris rubemi Ruschel (in Ruschel et al.), 2023. The labium extending to sternite II quickly distinguishes Acanthoventris igneus . Acanthoventris charrua can be distinguished by the posterior margin of basisternum 3 forming an obtuse angle. Acanthoventris iara can be distinguished by the tightly concave anterior margin of the head and the male operculum that does not cover the timbal cavity or have an apex that reaches the auditory capsule. Finally, Acanthoventris rubemi can be distinguished by the lack of pile on tergites 2, 3 and 6 and the broad opercular gutter on all opercular margins found in this species.

As for the remaining species of the genus, the rostrum barely reaches basisternum 3 in Acanthoventris jauffreti ( Boulard & Martinelli, 2011) , Acanthoventris olivarius Ruschel (in Ruschel et al.), 2023, Acanthoventris phoenix Ruschel (in Ruschel et al.), 2023, Acanthoventris tumidus Ruschel (in Ruschel et al.), 2023, and Acanthoventris viridinotatus Ruschel (in Ruschel et al.), 2023 while the rostrum reaches to the abdomen in Acanthoventris faustopsaltrius Ruschel (in Ruschel et al.), 2023. There are also differences to the opercula and genitalia of these species when compared to Acanthoventris gastracanthophora ( Berg, 1879) revised status, n. comb. The ochraceous body colorataion with limited piceous markings distinguishes Acanthoventris claudiae Ruschel (in Ruschel et al.), 2023. Finally, Acanthoventris densusus ( Boulard & Martinelli, 2011) can be distinguished by the opaque fore wing basal cell, the piceous marking on the dorsal postclypeus, transverse piceous fascia across the gena between the postclypeus and the eye, the reduced piceous marking in the mesonoal lateral sigillae, the narrower timbal cover, the operculum with a gutter present along the entire margin and a piceous anterior margin, the smaller male abdominal sternite VII, the curved notch in the posterior margin of female sternite VII, and the curving uncus dorsal crest.

Acanthoventris gastracanthophora ( Berg, 1879) revised status, n. comb. is directed to couplet 12 (the final couplet) in the key of Ruschel et al. (2023). In couplet 12, it differs from Acanthoventris densusus ( Boulard & Martinelli, 2011) in the tergites possessing significant pile beyond the lateal margins of tergites 2 and 3 and anterior margin of tergite 6 and the gutter of the operculum is incomplete in the posterolateral corner of the operculum and it differs from Acanthoventris rubemi in possessing pile on tergites 2, 3 and 6 and lacks a broad opercular gutter on all opercular margins.

Distribution. The species was reported previously only from Argentina ( Metcalf 1963a). The range is expanded here to include Uruguay.All references to Acanthoventris drewseni and its earlier generic assignments from Argentina should be considered to be Acanthoventris gastracanthophora ( Berg, 1879) revised status, n. comb.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Acanthoventris gastracanthophora (Berg, 1879) revised status, n. comb.: A, Male and female habitus; B, male dorsum; C, male dorsal head and pronotum; D, ventral view of head; E, male operculum; F, female operculum; G, male timbal cover; H, ventral view of thorax illustrating basisternum 3. Scale bar: A, 2 cm; B–C, 5 mm; D–H, 2 mm.

FIGURE 4. Acanthoventris gastracanthophora (Berg, 1879) revised status, n. comb.: A, Male abdominal sternite VII; B, male lateral view of genitalia; C, male posterior view of genitalia; D, female abdominal sternite VII; E, female lateral view of genitalia; F, female ventral view of genitalia. Scale bar: A, 2 mm; B–C, 1 mm; D–F, 2 mm.